Aizen's Favor
by FrogPuppet
Summary: When Orihime is taken, it really hits Ichigo hard, and Aizen sees she'd do well visiting a friend.


Despite his numerous crimes against Seireitei, Aizen couldn't help but feel guilt for separating a woman from her man.

Despite killing all members of the Central 46 Chambers and betraying almost all of his colleges and comrades, he couldn't help but feel a twinge in his heart as he felt Orihime's pain at the loss of Ichigo.

Orihime had no idea what the man would want with her, as she entered his audience hall.

"Welcome, Inoue-san."  
Orihime looked up at the brown haired man seated upon the simple white thrown.

He lent forward and crossed his arms on his knees.

"I am sorry for taking you from your friends, but is there anybody you wish to visit?"

Aizen knew exactly who she'd want to visit but he asked anyway.

Her large eyes lit up and she almost squealed;"**KUROSAKI-KUN!!" **

With a small smile at the girl's predictability and innocence, he concluded:

"Very well, Inoue-san. Be ready to leave in an hour, you will only have 2 hours to visit Kurosaki-san."

"HAI!!" She charged back to her room, not even waiting for her escorts to catch up.

Even if he seemed to like Rukia, Orihime didn't care, she wanted to see Ichigo and let him know she was alright and Aizen was treating her very nicely.

She was surprised to see Aizen escorting her himself.

She guessed he was honestly doing this out of good faith; to show her he wished her no harm.

Reality folded away and Orihime found herself outside of Ichigo's house.

"You have 2 hours Inoue-san, I hope you enjoy them, and use them wisely." With a small smile, he patted Orihime's head and stepped through the break in space and returned to Hueco Mundo.

Since Orihime's abduction, Ichigo had been **down**.

Rarely speaking, he had friends and family alike concerned.

He now came straight home from school, going straight into his room, either laying silently on his bed, or working out, or doing homework.

Even Kenpachi and Yachiru (She pestered 'Ken-chan' into taking her for a visit to the real world, or as she called it 'Ichi-land') Were unpleasantly surprised to meet a stoney, grim Ichigo, not the usual, friendly Ichigo.

Ichigo was silently laying on his bed, Kon had migrated to Yuzu and Karin's room, deciding it best to leave Ichigo to his thoughts. 

He was surprised when a small knock came at the front door.  
His father and sisters out buying dinner, he got up and shuffled down to answer it.

Orihime was _**PRAYING **_he was home, it was taking an awful long time for somebody to answer the door.

The door quietly swung inwards, Orihime was met with a grim looking Ichigo.  
His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open slightly. The frown seemed to completely disappear from his face.

"O-Orihime!?"   
With a grin so wide her eyes closed, she clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head and simply replied; "Kurosaki-kun!"

She felt something warm wrap tightly around her.

She opened her eyes to find Ichigo clinging onto her with** great **enthusiasm.

With a small sound of surprise she held Ichigo.

When he released her he moved back a bit to inspect her again, to confirm whether it really was Orihime or a cruel hallucination.

When satisfied she witnessed something incredibly rare.

Kurosaki Ichigo was smiling.

Not that smirk he often wore, his whole face was a smile.

"Come in!" He said, his smile had spread to his voice.

He seated her on his bed and left to get drinks.

She laid back on his bed and breathed deep, the room was wonderfully fragranced with Ichigo, and she loved that faintly sweet, almost savory smell he had.

Orihime she could have sworn she saw a moving lion plushie, it seemed to be pleased to see her, with tears in its eyes, sorrowfully asking itself; 'Why do all these cute, bouncy girls come to see Ichigo, and not Kon-sama!? WHY!!?'

She recognized Kon, who scampered away when he heard Ichigo approaching, Kon had learned very quickly he seemed to get in a kicky mood when his _female_ friends came to visit.

With his usual slight frown he gently placed the tray of tea and snacks on the bed.

Orihime picked up her tea, sipped, and then popped one of the small orange things into her mouth.

"I-Ichigo-kun! These are…"  
his mouth curling slightly upward he produced the small red book Orihime wrote all her recipe ideas in.

"I had no idea bean paste was so versatile…" He said absent mindedly.

This lead Orihime onto a train of thought, she wanted an answer to what was bothering her all the time she had spent at Hueco Mundo.

"Kurosaki-kun?"  
"Mmm?'

"Do you…do you remember what I said to you when I left?"

"You came to see me?" Ichigo felt terrible for not knowing.

It felt like a giant spiked fist of sadness punched Orihime in the heart.

"Orihime, I'm…I'm glad you came back." Ichigo seemed restless and seemed to have more to say.

"_Ichigo you IDIOT! This is Orihime! Just go and say it! It's not like she's going to laugh at you…" _Ichigo momentarily though his Inner Hollow made better company than his conscience.

After moving a little closer to Ichigo and fiddling with her hands in her lap, she asked;  
"How…what do you feel about Kuchiki-san?"  
Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise.  
"R-Rukia? She's…like a big sister! Why?"

Orihime hung her head low and looked away from Ichigo.

"Orihime…are you alright?"

"Kurosaki-kun, I meant to say…what I mean is…"  
Orihime wished her Rangiku-neechan was here to give her advice.

Ichigo was staring at her wide eyed, he was worried that Orihime had been kidnapped by the Arrancar, and upon returning was acting very strangely.

"Well…you see…"  
_"Alright, Orihime! Lets do this!" _She said to herself.  
"I think I love you, Ichigo-kun."

Ichigo was unfortunately drinking his tea at the time, and with a loud snort and coughing fit afterwards he asked;  
"You…you do?"

"Mmm." She mumbled with a nod, her eyes downcast.

"_Alright Ichigo, Orihime did the brave thing, you KNOW she likes you back, what are you waiting for?" _ Ichigo wondered if the Vizard had any advice on how to crush that damned inner voice…

"Is this what you meant before?"  
"Mmm." She mumbled again.

He gently placed his hand upon hers.

"I love you Orihime."

With a gasp she wildly looked up and at Ichigo.

She momentarily thought it utterly hilarious that _**Kurosaki Ichigo **_was being bashful.

Orihime lent closer to Ichigo, and Ichigo lent closer to Orihime.  
_"This time, I'm going to do it." _She assured herself.

Orihime hadn't really kissed anybody before, and neither had Ichigo.  
Orihime thought to herself that the warm, gentle resistance Ichigo made on her lips was heavenly.

Ichigo was kicking himself for not confessing his feelings for Orihime sooner.

After a while they stopped kissing and talked about things. 

"So…you thought I…loved Rukia?"

They were laying on Ichigo's bed.

"Well, when she, Hitsugaya-ku, er…Taichou, Renji-kun, Rangiku-chan and all the others came, you seemed to brighten up when Rukia showed up."

"Oh…right!" Ichigo then explained that he had lost his fighting spirit after seeing Orihime hurt, and that Rukia helped him regain it. For her sake, he left out the parts to do with his inner hollow.

"So she just helped you ah…get back on your feet, Ichigo-kun?"  
"More or less." He concluded, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her neck.

They lay there quietly talking for a small while more.

When a quiet tap at Ichigo's door got their attention.  
"Ichi-nii! Dinner is home, oh and Daddy said your friend is quite welcome to have some too!"

They heard the quiet, rapid patter of Yuzu dashing off down the hall.

Ichigo had frozen, his eyes wide and he made a surprised grunt.

He then got up slowly off the bed, then he and Orihime left to get some of the food his family had brought back.

Isshin felt another reiatsu, but got a shock when Orihime entered the room with Ichigo, Isshin had never really gotten over the fact that her adored older brother died in his clinic.

But he simply donned his 'silly dad grin' and offered her food.

Yuzu being naïve was asking very probing and embarassing questions of the two.

"Ichi-nii?"  
"Mmm?"

"Why you always close the door when friends are over what do you do?"  
For the second time that day Ichigo nearly chocked/drowned on what he had in his mouth at the time.

"So we can talk in private!" he spluttered at Yuzu.

Isshin struck his 'pondering parent' pose, his hand on his chin, with a slight grin, his eyes closed.  
"As a single parent I should be concerned as to what my son is doing behind closed doors with beautiful girls…but it's Ichigo! My only son would never do that!" He spoke loudly and all present gave him withering looks, Orihime had a big fat sweat drop, never having really met Ichigo's family.  
Isshin rushed over to the poster of Ichigo's deceased mother and began pining for her advice on how to approach Ichigo on the subject, and the fact that Karin seemed more interested in beating up boys than dating them…

A vein appeared on Karin's temple.

After dinner Ichigo returned to his room with Orihime, and told her all that had happened in her absence.   
after a while a small knock came at his door.

"What is it Yuzu?"  
"I am not your younger sister, Ichigo-san."  
Ichigo was concerned there was a stranger in his house.  
"May I come in, it's time for Orihime to return."

Ichigo dashed over to the door, wrenching it open to find Aizen standing in his hallway.

"A-AIZEN!!"

"Greetings, Ichigo-san. I trust you enjoyed Orihime's visit?"

Ichigo reached for his Representative's charm, but Aizen placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"Not here Ichigo-san, think of you family. This is your home, I will not attack you here, how ever once you leave your home you will be fare game for any Arrancar that my decide to breach orders and attack you.

They both knew exactly which Espada he was referring to.

"Orihime, it's time we left."

With a sad nod she left with him, she turned to Ichigo.  
"I'm so glad you picked me over Rukia, Ichigo-kun."

"Mmm, Orihime, I _**WILL **_get you out of there, some how." He gripped her hand when he said this.

With a smile she replied; "I know you will, Ichigo-kun." The fact she was using his given name must've meant a lot.

With a final embrace, Orihime made a tearful departure from the Kurosaki Clinic.

Downstairs Isshin suddenly tensed with the massive Reiatsu that appeared upstairs.

"_So this is the enemy! I thought it was highly strange that the Inoue girl should turn up here after supposedly being kidnapped by the Espada…Aizen must be tricking her like all the others, she's going to be a lot more cooperative now that she thinks he gives a damn." _Isshin was familiar with Aizen's methods, he'd have to tell Urahara that he was trying to convert Orihime.

Ichigo was on his knees, a single, silent tear drifted down his cheek. His already tight fist pounded the floor in frustration.

He'd train three times as hard now, he'd left Aizen take her once, even dangle her infront of him, next time he saw Orihime he was going to fight to get her back.

He WOULD get her back.

Back in Hueco Mundo, Aizen mused over the meeting, he honestly did feel for Orihime, tearing a young woman from her man still seemed dishonorable, even to Aizen.  
He hoped Orihime had forgiven her kidnapping and would be more cooperative in the future.


End file.
